BG19

Today we continue with the same slokas. The lecture was from the same Sri SoundaraRaja Perumal temple.

Yesterday it was told that Arjuna does not want to commit the two sins even if Duryodana does not care about it. The second sin of mitra droha or enmity among friends, Arjuna never wants to commit. In Sanskrit, mitra means a person who helps the other in distress. So how Sri Krishna who is addressed as Janardana or who removes or cuts off rebirth can be helping to commit this sin and ensure rebirth.

Here an incidence in Ramayana has to be remembered. When Sri Rama on exile left Ayodya and came to the banks of Ganges to enter Chitrakoot, Guha, the chief of the hunters, helps Him by giving directions and by providing boat to cross the river. Though Sri Rama stayed with Guha only for a night their friendship became so great and made Sri Rama to declare that with Guha they were now five brothers. Later, after Sri Rama was staying in Chitrakoot, Sri Bharatha comes to Ayodya unaware of the happenings. His father Dasaratha had died and comes to know that Sri Rama was exiled to forests for fourteen years. His sorrow is immeasurable and he with a determination to bring back Sri Rama and make Him the king goes in search of Sri Rama. To ensure that Sri Rama at least listens to anyone, he goes in search with all the population of Ayodhya including the troops. He also reaches the banks of the river Ganges and comes across Guha. Here, Guha doubts the motive of Bharaha and he misunderstands that Bharatha has come to drive away Sri Rama further or to kill Him. This is the essence of friendship, that when Guha thinks that Sri Rama is to be harmed further, he is unable to bear that and wants to fight with Bharatha.

Yet another incidence from Ramayana is when Sri Vibheeshana comes to the shores of the ocean [at Thiruppullani, near Rameswaram] to surrender to Sri Rama. At that time Sugreeva and other monkeys caution saying Vibheeshana is coming in the guise of a friend from their enemy Ravana and so Sri Rama should not accept him. Sri Rama replies them that even if Vibheeshana pretends to be a friend [ mitra bhave…that is even such pretension] He will accept him. This is also another example as to how one should regard a friend.

Finally, in the Sri Prahalada episode, though as Sri Narasimha, the Lord had to kill Prahalada’s father, He makes a promise that He will not kill anyone else in the Prahalada family or dynasty to preserve even that Asura kula. This is told by Vibheeshana to Ravana while advising him to release Sri Sita , in Kamba Ramayanam in Tamil. That is the Lord Himself does not want to wipeout any race or dynasty. So Arjuna’s query is how Sri Krishna can induce him to kill his relatives and friends.